gale

Keep in mind that cds and dvds also do not last forever. Experts recommend reburning your data at least every 5 yrs, more often if you're using the cheaper discs. I can't imagine trying to fit all of my stuff on disc. let alone the time it takes to burn it. Even my pictures alone would take dozens of dvds.

redpurselady

Thanks for letting us know. I'm so sorry about your files being lost!

Glassquilt

An external hard drive is good for backup

TacoMama

Thank you for the warning! I am so sorry about your genealogy. I do genealogy and know how awful that would be if it were gone. Hopefully yours can be brought back by the techie.

Mariposa

I have Avast, and Malware Bytes. Seems to work for us~

gale

But keep in mind that an external drive hooked up all the time is just as vulnerable to viruses and malware as the native hard drive. Also, any hard drive can fail-even externals. I know people who put all of their photos on externals and deleted them from their computer's main hard drive, only to have the external fail and lose all of their pics. It's best to have more than one backup for the most important files. I have all of my pictures backed up at least 3 different ways in addition to them staying on my hard drive.

valsma

Thank you for the warning and i'm sorry that happened to you.
That is why I just pay for one every year. I have to plan for when I know it's renewel is coming but it has protected me so far.

Sheila_H

Ouch thats horrible! Thanks for the warning, we use McAfee it came on our laptop and we paid $39 for the full yr upgrade. I find they work well I used a free ware one may have been AVG before but found I still got a lot of viruses. When we went to McAfee it's always catching stuff at least once a week and I don't go on many websites.

There's new viruses released almost every day it seems I don't think it matters what software you use you many always get one or two that slip through the systems.

Glassquilt

I have a laptop. My external hard drives is only attached when I do a backup. I have two.

My currant protection is Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security.

Shelby

Thank you for the warning. So sorry you lost your files!